Pirasti Trio with Sophie Renshaw
Nicholas Miller – Violin
Sophie Renshaw – Viola
Alison Wells – Cello
Jeffrey Sharkey – Piano
Piano Quartet in A minor Op 67 | Joaquin Turina |
Thousandth Orange | Caroline Shaw |
"Ein Ding" and "Die Wolfjungen" ("A Thing" and "Wolf Cubs") from Piano Quartet | Danny Elfman |
INTERVAL | |
Piano Quartet in C minor Op 60 | Johannes Brahms |
The Pirasti Trio
The Pirasti Trio formed in 1989 and performed throughout the UK, Europe and the USA until 2001. They had a particular interest in English music, giving the world première of the Gustav Holst Trio in the Wigmore Hall and the Dutch première of the Rebecca Clarke Trio. They made appearances at major festivals including Bath, Warwick, Dartington, Schleswig-Holstein and Orlando and were promoted as part of the Countess of Munster Recital Scheme. Their CDs of British chamber music for ASV were described as “absolutely incandescent” (The Strad) and “elegant, unfailingly stylish” (Gramophone). They were recommended by BBC Music Magazine, International Record Review and Fanfare and were selected recordings on BBC Radio 3’s “Building a Library”. Radio appearances included North German Radio, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Classic FM’s “Evening Concert” and a live broadcast on Radio 3’s “Musical Encounters” in association with the Bath International Festival.
In 2021, after they were all living back in the UK, they reunited as a trio, performing at The Yehudi Menuhin School as part of Encore Music Projects, where they teach every summer.
Sophie Renshaw
Between 2000 and 2008 Sophie held the Principal Viola position in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Since 2008 her freelance playing has included membership of the London Mozart Players and collaborations with trad musicians. These projects have allowed her to explore composition and arranging and include a trio with accordionist Paul Hutchinson and violinist Lucy Russell and a collaboration entitled Hirondelle with Singer-songwriters Brothers Gillespie and polyphonic vocal trio Tant Que Li Siam. This project was recorded for CD just before the Covid Pandemic.
During the pandemic Sophie co-founded an online community, InsideOutMusician, that aimed to provide ways for musicians and other artists to connect and collaborate while all live performing had stopped. She also re-trained as an Integrative Arts Counsellor for young people and currently divides her time between counselling and music. She lives in Kilmacolm, Inverclyde, with her family.